Previous owner '68

[raggedjim]

Yes, I am the future previous owner of a 1968 short step that has been basking in the elements of my back forty (actually my back 4 but who's counting?). Since I have retired I have been asked too many times what I do all day so I decided to drag it to the shop and tear it down into thousands of pieces so I could have a decent reply.

I will be using parts I have laying around and also spending way too much on new parts for this build. It won't be a show truck or have any fancy sounding parts and modifications done to it. Mostly I will be trying to make it a decent driver, that's lowered, and runs reliably.

The starting point... ouch...

November 8th

[68bowtie]

I like it. What color was it originally?

[raggedjim]

It was 505 dark green. This truck had a government property tag inside of the glove box where a spid usually is and no spid. Not sure if a previous previous owner did that or what.

[Getter-Done]

That is a Great start there Neighbor.

[raggedjim]

Thanks Getter-D, tons of potential for sure.

I vacuumed MOST of the leaves and mouse deposits out of it and moved it inside, cause I'm old and don't like the cold.

[raggedjim]

Bed wood is non-existent. Started out by tearing out the old wood and rusted strips, also took off tailgate and rear lights.

[justaburbn]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

Bed wood is non-existent. Started out by tearing out the old wood and rusted strips, also took off tailgate and rear lights.

Hey Rg, do you know what the best wood for a truck bed is? LOL! That sounds like a set up to a joke! But seriously it's not. I new a good ole boy in Colorado that owned and operated an old saw mill for over 40yrs before I met him. He ran it another 20yrs after I had met him. The place was like a museum. He had 20' tall re-saw band saws with 8' wheels and 14" wide band saw blades. He cut big timbers for the mines and big chock blocks for binding tanks on train cars for the military. All kinds of stuff. Any way he always had these huge logs piled up and one day I asked him what did he use that species for. He told me truck beds. Ive recommended to everyone I've met that needed a truck bed. The ones that did use this species have all said, yes! Best wood for truck beds hands down. And it is the only use I've ever found for this species. Except firewood of course.

Go ahead and guess. Let's see if anyone else knows. It's going to have to be a good ole boy in the know for sure. 100%

[joeydurango]

Originally Posted by justaburbn

Hey Rg, do you know what the best wood for a truck bed is? LOL! That sounds like a set up to a joke! But seriously it's not. I new a good ole boy in Colorado that owned and operated an old saw mill for over 40yrs before I met him. He ran it another 20yrs after I had met him. The place was like a museum. He had 20' tall re-saw band saws with 8' wheels and 14" wide band saw blades. He cut big timbers for the mines and big chock blocks for binding tanks on train cars for the military. All kinds of stuff. Any way he always had these huge logs piled up and one day I asked him what did he use that species for. He told me truck beds. Ive recommended to everyone I've met that needed a truck bed. The ones that did use this species have all said, yes! Best wood for truck beds hands down. And it is the only use I've ever found for this species. Except firewood of course.

Go ahead and guess. Let's see if anyone else knows. It's going to have to be a good ole boy in the know for sure. 100%

Speaking as a longtime Coloradan, the only trees I can think of that would be easy to get truck-length strips out of would be ponderosa pine. Maybe aspen, but I wouldn't use aspen for much of anything.

Speaking as a born-and-raised Ohio Valley guy, I'd think you'd want a nice hardwood, the likes of which don't much exist in Colorado. But maybe they're too brittle.

[justaburbn]

Hey Joey, just remember who I heard it from. The fella was none other than F H Stags. He went on to glory in 2011. He was 94. Seeing that old wooden truck bed like it was made me think of him. I just saw the work Rg did on the metal bed. It's nice to had old stuff laying around. Good work Rg.

So... are you ready? Drum roll please....... COTTONWOOD!!!

Not too heavy, but dense. Won't twist, splinter or split. Things slide easily yet it has a felt like grip. Now I've not ever heard that from anyone else. Fran was a squared away dude new about wood.

That'd my story and I'm sticking to it!

[joeydurango]

Originally Posted by justaburbn

Hey Joey, just remember who I heard it from. The fella was none other than F H Stags. He went on to glory in 2011. He was 94. Seeing that old wooden truck bed like it was made me think of him. I just saw the work Rg did on the metal bed. It's nice to had old stuff laying around. Good work Rg.

So... are you ready? Drum roll please....... COTTONWOOD!!!

Not too heavy, but dense. Won't twist, splinter or split. Things slide easily yet it has a felt like grip. Now I've not ever heard that from anyone else. Fran was a squared away dude new about wood.

That'd my story and I'm sticking to it!

Ah ha! Cottonwood. Makes sense. Didn't even consider it. Was thinking of the high country, not the water corridors! I dig it.

[raggedjim]

Since I like 5-lug trucks better because of the front disc brakes and better selection of wheels, I removed the old rearend, using a big (as in LARGE) ratchet to remove the old u-bolts. I removed everything from the 6-lug rearend I thought I might need and took every thing left to my buddy who has a bunch of 63-66 chevy trucks.

[raggedjim]

I had a 5-lug rearend from a 72 in my (no)horse shed so I brought it to the shop and opened it up. There's no smell quite like 50 year old readend grease, especially when it's in a worn out posi rearend. After much cleaning I put new clutches in the posi and replaced the worn out pinion gear thrust washers. I put in all new brake parts, and replaced the axle bearings and seals. My wife made me throw away some perfectly fine work clothes after making me strip on the back deck. Hope the neighbors enjoyed it more than I did.

[wpsharpshooter]

I didnt even realize this was your thread.. Whats the plan for the color? Since your just down the road... You cant do red LOL

[68Gold/white]

Originally Posted by wpsharpshooter

I didnt even realize this was your thread.. Whats the plan for the color? Since your just down the road... You cant do red LOL

Post 3

[wpsharpshooter]

Originally Posted by 68Gold/white

Post 3

**** man... Its been a loooong week... I actually remember reading that LOL

[68Gold/white]

I'm in agreement with everything you are doing!!!

Carry on!!!

[raggedjim]

I'm thinking I'll stick with the green, but occasionally I think of all the metalwork it needs and I get to wishing I had a simpler hobby, like synchronized swimming or maybe hooting a jug in a jug band.

[raggedjim]

While I had the rear axles out I noticed a couple of the lug nut studs were not up to my standards (which aren't really that high to start with) so I ran to a local parts store and got some. Well, they didn't fit. They were 1/2"-20 but the serrated part was too small (about .535) The part number was abn-138. The stud I found that fit was an abn-191 (.621 knurl size)

Exciting, I know.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

While I had the rear axles out I noticed a couple of the lug nut studs were not up to my standards (which aren't really that high to start with) so I ran to a local parts store and got some. Well, they didn't fit. They were 1/2"-13 but the serrated part was too small (about .535) The part number was abn-138. The stud I found that fit was an abn-191 (.621 knurl size)

Exciting, I know.

Sometimes you can find the part number you need on this site>

Link: https://www.dormanproducts.com/c-778-wheel-studs.aspx

[raggedjim]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

Sometimes you can find the part number you need on this site>

Link: https://www.dormanproducts.com/c-778-wheel-studs.aspx

Good to know! Thanks!

[raggedjim]

Now I have to make a disclaimer at this point, actually more of a warning. I do sketchy crap. There, I've said it. I would not advise anyone to try to duplicate my methods, these posts are not meant to educate or encourage. Trucks can and will try to kill you if you are stupid.

The following pictures may offend and horrify. Children and OSHA guys should go and look at cat videos on Youtube. You have been warned.

[Getter-Done]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

Now I have to make a disclaimer at this point, actually more of a warning. I do sketchy crap. There, I've said it. I would not advise anyone to try to duplicate my methods, these posts are not meant to educate or encourage. Trucks can and will try to kill you if you are stupid.

The following pictures may offend and horrify. Children and OSHA guys should go and look at cat videos on Youtube. You have been warned.

I don't see anything wrong with that.

Job got done and No one got hurt.

[raggedjim]

Originally Posted by Getter-Done

I don't see anything wrong with that.

Job got done and No one got hurt.

You are correct, and I also remembered a bunch of words from my Navy days.

I have to add, the orange hand crank bumper jack was the one my grandfather used when he owned a garage. I rebuilt it and repainted it the way he had it. I think about him when I'm huffing and puffing trucks up and down.

[raggedjim]

Now that the warnings are out of the way, I decided to remove the bed, by myself, with very little in the way of lifting devices. I survived, it was sketchy. I may just leave it off.

[raggedjim]

I made a makeshift cart out of an old hose reel, some piano wood and some old casters. I'm crafty like that.